Racism & Huntington Beach as possible "Sundown Town" (Anaheim: neighborhoods, school)

[tonk]

Hi- I have to ask to ask for help with a project I'm working on for a class. I read this book called Sundown Towns, A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen. He also has a website for continued and expanded research.
http://www.uvm.edu/~jloewen/sundowntowns.php
Since I was born in Huntington Beach, CA, I chose HB for my paper as a possible sundown town, although now I'm going to school in Georgia. "A sundown town is any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it and was thus all-white on purpose." I think it also gets that name from the fact that signs were posted to keep African Americans out, especially after dark. One such sign on the cover of the book reads, "Whites Only Within City Limits After Dark." The time frame can be from the 1900s or earlier on up. Can anyone help with information such as books or articles to read or stories about African Aamericans being kept out or kicked out violently or in more subtle ways as it pertains to the city of Huntington Beach, in Orange County California. Or anything about segregation, signs to keep African Americans out, pictures, etc. I'm only 21 and it's disturbing to read how people treated each other just because of color. I'm white, but my parents treat all people with respect. Also, we have an integrated extended family. Thanks much. Matt

[bhcompy]

I've never heard of problems in HB, or anywhere nearby, with racial/black segregation.

[MisterDuke]

I can't help you with HB, but I can give you some stuff on Anaheim. Maybe that can give you an idea about what was going on in OC at the time.

- Ku Klux Klan had a presence in OC in the 1920s. They also had a majority on the Anaheim city council for awhile. Here is an article, with some photos of them driving thru downtown:
THE KLAN IN ANAHEIM (http://www.anaheimcolony.com/klan.htm - broken link)

- Anaheim was among many local cities that had unwritten rules that prevented ethnic minorities from living in certain neighborhoods. I forget the name of the practice. This was in place until the 1950s. Every non-white ethnicity had their own neighborhood.

- Until the late 1950s, the city had a policy that ethnic minorities could only use Pearson Park Pool the day before it was to be cleaned each week. So, whites would use it 5 days a week. The sixth day was reserved for other ethnicities, then on the seventh day it would be drained, cleaned and refilled. That was a common practice among OC cities at the time.

[tonk]

Wow! Thanks so much. That is very helpful information for my paper. Times were crazy then!

[mark85]

Things are more subtle now

[Charles]

Originally Posted by tonk

Hi- I have to ask to ask for help with a project I'm working on for a class. .....


Can anyone help with information such as books or articles to read or stories.....

I assume you are a college student and have access to online literary, research, journal, and academic databases through your college library. "Articles" or "stories" will not cut it for your professor if you cite them in any paper you are submitting. Normally, what you use as reference has to come from a reputable academic or peer reviewed sources.

Just out of curiosity, what school are you attending? What is the name of the class?

[Fontucky]

Inglewood was once a sundown town. Both my parents grew up there starting in the 1920s. My Dad used to speak of signs along Crenshaw informing black people that they had to be out of town by dark.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Inglewood was once a sundown town. Both my parents grew up there starting in the 1920s. My Dad used to speak of signs along Crenshaw informing black people that they had to be out of town by dark.

Now its the white people that had better be out of down by sunset.

[Huckleberry3911948]

im non white what kept me out was the price.

[FresnoFacts]

Look for info about Bruce's Beach (the first African American beach resort in Southern Calif) in Manhattan Beach and what happened to it.

Ronald Davidson from CSU Northridge has written articles that talk about the racism in the beach towns pre WWII. Do an academic search for some of his work.